Private sector quietly laying foundation for India’s future amid Covid-19 storm

“When India speaks of self-reliance, it does not advocate a self-centred system. In India’s self-reliance, there is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation and peace,” – inspiring words by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation recently. He had also announced a Rs 20 lakh crore economic package as India’s response towards battling the pandemic of Covid-19 and also as a cornerstone towards his aspirations of an Atma-Nirbhar Bharat.

The Indian private sector seems to be in line with the Government’s ideologies and they are coming up with innovative solutions to not only curtail the effect of the coronavirus but to also to lay a solid ground for India’s future in the times to come.

Education and HR
Education is the backbone of any civilisation, community or a country. At a time when schools and colleges are forced to shut down, these Ed-Tech apps are not only enabling them to function from the comfort of their homes but are also upskilling the work-force so that they can stay relevant to the demands of the current situation.

Marching Sheep
A boutique HR advisory firm which works in the areas of diversity and inclusion, organisation design consulting, talent assessment, management, and coaching. Marching Sheep aims to help organisations to become more profitable and productive through a range of interventions and assist women workforce to become successful across industries.

EduBrisk
EduBrisk, a brain-friendly educational solutions platform for schools and students has started a Classroom to Virtual Classroom programme that enables schools and freelance teachers to go live within 24 hours. They have invested in high-quality human resources to start this education programme in India and have on-boarded 30 schools since the lockdown period. They are also planning to on-board 150 more schools within the span of next two months. GD Goenka Public School – Siliguri, QMS Schools – Kolkata, St Peters – Ernakulam and Al Ameen Public School – Kochi are a few examples of the schools taking virtual classes using EduBrisk’s platform.

IntelliPaat
IntelliPaat, an online professional training courses and certification platform, is providing 12 free IT courses on their platform. The courses appeal to the youngsters looking for a bright career in the IT field and the ones who cannot afford expensive professional courses. They provide various learning/skill-building courses in Data Science, AI, Web Technologies and Cloud Computing at a very nominal rate and also provide a certification that is valid across the globe.

Logistics
Logistics is the lifeline of any economy. It is responsible for the movement of raw materials, goods, agricultural products or even normal food deliveries. So, when the entire country is facing the lockdown these logistic players have stepped up the occasion in order to meet the daily requirements of the country, some have even altered their business models for doing so.

Lalamove
Lalamove, an on-demand logistics company is offering an uninterrupted service to the FMCG Companies where they are free to choose multiple locations and vendors at one go. The merchant or user of the Lalamove platform can add up to 20 drop-off points in a delivery order. They have tied up with FMCG brands like Marico Ltd, Amazon, Coca Cola, Tata Consumer Services, Himalaya, Godrej Consumer Products, UdaanFresh, UdaanMeat and Licious for meeting their delivery requirements.

72 Networks
72 Networks, a pan-India distribution house, specialising in last-mile delivery is reaching out to rural areas for deliveries of Covid-19 protection kits and other essential items. They are delivering items like PPE Coverall, PPE – Gloves, Googles & Masks, PPE Kit, IR Thermometer, Sanitizer Spray, Anti-fog Face Shield, Biofresh Hand Sanitizer and Microtouch Nitrile Gloves across states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal,  Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.

Technology/ Solution Providers
Desperate situations call for desperate measures and Indian IT & Tech industry has always been known for their product deliveries and innovative solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has enabled them to create out of the box solutions that can revolutionise the future.

Ameyo
Ameyo, an Omnichannel Customer Engagement Technology provider has launched a video-based KYC for businesses to eliminate the need for physical KYC. The product is based on the latest RBI guidelines issued in Jan 2020. Their video KYC is an end-to-end solution with omnichannel capabilities of scheduling and reminding customers to complete the KYC process thus enabling brands to reduce the drop-offs by 20%.

PlayShifu
PlayShifu is the leading AR toy company offering a variety of immersive, educational toys that connect the physical and digital worlds. The play experiences are specially designed for kids ages four to 12 years and build foundational, STEAM skills through fun. Founded in 2016 by Dinesh Advani and Vivek Goyal after they saw a need to provide meaningful digital play experiences for their kids, PlayShifu is now loved around the world. With offices in the Bay Area and Bangalore, India, PlayShifu products are available in more than 15 countries.